DVD: Aix-en-Provence Falstaff tragedy with Willard White

Falstaff. Aix-en-Provence 2001. Production: Herbert Wernicke. Cast: Willard White (Falstaff), Geraldine McGreevy (Alice Ford), Marcus Jupither (Ford), Yann Beuron (Fenton), Miah Persson (Nannetta), Charlotte Hellekant (Meg Page), Nora Gubisch (Mrs. Quickly). Conductor: Enrique Mazzola with Orchestre de Paris. Further information here.

Fist of all, this Falstaff is no comedy. For once, Falstaff is not the laughable, fat figure.
Willard White´s Falstaff is a virile, somber man, being ousted by society. Why, the staging does not reveal, though the accompanying booklet states this to be racially motivated, as Willard White is the only black man on stage. Though the racist angle is not obvious from watching the minimalistic staging, which take place in a single room lined with wooden walls with the characters wearing period costumes. Admittedly, there is a certain 19th century Southern State feeling to this production, though I may not have had this impression had I not read the racism comment in the booklet.

Willard White is a superb stage actor, who plays Falstaff like he was Filippo of Spain. Though his voice is rather dry, it doesn´t really detract from his fine performance. Small wonder Charlotte Hellekant´s fine Meg has an affair with him.
Of the others, Miah Persson shines as Nanetta, while her upcoming husband is more anonymous. Geraldine McGreevy unfortunately does not make a good Alice Ford, being rather shrill and devoid of charm.
Neither does Enrique Mazzola really make the orchestra bubble, though bubbly may not be an aim to this almost tragic Falstaff.

The DVD direction is of unusually low quality, often the camera focus on singers not relevant to the action. Distinctly similar to the appallingly poor filmed Zurich Tannhäuser, and as it turned out, the DVD director was the same: Chloe Perlemuter.

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Willard White: 4
Geraldine McGreevy: 2
Marcus Jupither: 4
Miah Persson: 5
Yann Beuron: 4
Nora Gubish:4
Charlotte Hellekant: 4

Wernickes staging: 3

Enrique Mazzola: 3

Overall impression: 3

DVD: Glyndebourne Lehnhoff Jenufa

Jenufa. Glyndebourne 1989. Production: Nikolaus Lehnhoff. Cast: Roberta Alexander (Jenufa), Anja Silja (Kostelnicka), Philip Langridge (Laca), Mark Baker (Steva). Conductor: Andrew Davis with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Further information here.

Nikolaus Lehnhoff has created a psycho-analytically orientated Jenufa for Glyndebourne in 1989: Closed spaces, primary colours. Clarity and aesthetism by simplicity are primary concerns here, as always with Lehnhoff, an old pupil of Wieland Wagner. Set in the claustrophobig environment of the closed society of a 19th century village, the sets provide the ideal background for Janaceks glorious music.

The incomparable Anja Silja is the strongest Kostelnicka one may imagine, dominating the stage whenever she appears. Next to her, Roberta Alexander can hardly avoid to seem a bit anonymous, though her Jenufa is fine sung and genuinely moving.

Superb performance from Andrew Davis with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a sumptuous, dark reading.

The only alternative on DVD is the Tambosi production from Barcelona 2005. It may be a matter of taste, which production to prefer, as both have strong points.

Roberta Alexander and Anja Silja in Act 1:

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Roberta Alexander: 4
Anja Silja: 5
Philip Langridge: 4

Lehnhoffs staging: 4

Andrew Davis: 5

Overall impression: 4

Posted by CzarDodon on YouTube

DVD: Barcelona 2003 Lady Macbeth from Mtsensk

Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Barcelona Liceu 2003. Production: Stein Winge. Cast: Nadine Secunde (Katerina), Christopher Ventris (Sergei), Anatoli Kotscherga (Boris). Conductor: Alexander Anissimov. Further information here.

After having seen the only alternative Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk DVD on the market, the superb Martin Kusej- production from Amsterdam, it is hard to be overly enthusiastic about this Barcelona production. Though this was the first on the market, and the first one I saw as well.

Stein Winges approach is rather traditional and semi-realistic set on a spartan stage, the main focus being on the relationship between Katerina and Sergei on a pure human level.
Does it work? As such, it is not too bad. However, it fails to explore the depths of the score. As does conductor Alexander Anissimov: It may be unfair to compare him to Mariss Jansons mighty Concertgebouw, however this is what he is competing against.

Nadine Secunde gives her all in a convincing portrait of a not overly sympathetic Katerina, though she quite audibly is past her prime. Smashing performance, however from Christopher Ventris as a roughly attractive Sergei, also to be seen in the Amsterdam DVD.

Those not in favour of Martin Kusej´s more abstract interpretation may prefer Stein Winge. However, I cannot imagine anyone to favour Anissimov to Mariss Jansons. And after all, Lady Macbeth is as much a conductors opera than anyone elses.

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Nadine Secunde: 3
Christopher Ventris: 5
Anatoli Kotscherga: 3-4

Stein Winges staging: 3

Alexander Anissimov: 3

Overall impression: 3

2007 mostly opera awards: The best, the worst, the funniest, the most boring......

Top 5 operatic performances of 2007:

1. Tristan and Isolde, La Scala, Milano (review here)
2. Tristan and Isolde, Munich (review here)
3. Parsifal, Berlin State Opera (review here)
4. Don Giovanni, Berlin State Opera (review here)
5. Meistersinger, Bayreuth (review here)

Top 3 non-operatic performances of 2007:

1. Wagner Gala in Munich (review here)
2. Renée Fleming in Thaïs (review here)
3. Pollini recital in Salzburg (review here)

Worst performance: Hans Neuenfels´ staging of the Magic Flute at Komische Oper in Berlin. I´ve tried to forget it, but at times like this, it just pops up (review will follow soon).

Best opera on CD: Testaments release of the complete 1956 Keilberth Ring from Bayreuth. It beats every other version out there, even Solti. Link here.

Best opera on DVD: The complete Kupfer/Barenboim Bayreuth Ring. It´s also top of my Ring DVD list now. Link here.

Best recital disc: Karita Mattila´s Helsinki recital. More here.

Best singer: This will have to be split between René Pape and Waltraud Meier. René Pape for: Filip, Boris Godunov, Gurnemanz, Marke, Hunding and Don G. (link here) Waltraud Meier for these Isoldes. And Ortrud as well. And Sieglinde (link here).

Best conductor: Daniel Barenboim. For the unparallelled intensity he generates conducting Wagner live. And Mozart as well. For: Parsifal, Tristan and Don Giovanni (link here). With Christian Thielemann a close runner-up for that magnificent Bayreuth-Ring.

Best director: Patrice Chéreau. For this. With Dmitri Tcherniakov as a runner-up. For this and this.

Best opera seen on TV/in cinema: Eugene Onegin from the MET. More here. Searing. Unbelievably moving. (Chéreau´s Tristan has moved to the "live opera" category or would otherwise probably have won this category).

Biggest disappointment: To have to close my ears to the awful singing in Siegfried Act III in Wagner´s own theater in Bayreuth, while at the same time listening to Thielemann´s magnificent conducting. More here.

Biggest surprise: To suddenly find myself on stage in Carl Nielsen´s opera Maskarade at the Royal Danish Opera. More here.

Most misunderstood: Katharina Wagner´s staging of Meistersinger in Bayreuth. Claiming that she is an exceptionally radical stage director is simply far off the mark, and is due to the fact that almost nobody has actually seen her work, which lies plainly within the ”modern” German staging tradition and not the slightest radical. More here.

Most ridiculous: The whole game of succession regarding the leadership of the Bayreuth Festival. More here.

Strangest and most amazing: Being in Bayreuth and attending the performances in the Festival House. More here.

Worst behaviour: Bryn Terfel canceling the ROH Ring at almost no notice. More here.

Best behaviour: Reading here about how Plácido Domingo took time to go backstage between acts and meet his fans at the Royal Opera Walküre and apparently was very pleasant as well.

Most generous: When a stranger gave me a free first-rate ticket to the Pollini recital in Salzburg immediately before the performance. More here.

Most irritating: Sitting almost in front of Daniel Barenboim at a Pierre Boulez concert in Berlin, where he was continuously shuffling some papers very noisily around for the entire concert..only to find out that the day after we were sitting right beside him at another Pierre Boulez concert (with the same paper shuffling going on…) .

Most boring: Regardless of excellent productions, and performances of the highest musical quality, baroque operas just are very long…. (no link, since it´s really not the performers fault that baroque opera doesn´t appeal to me)

Most funny: Attending Hoffmann´s tales ath the Royal Opera in Copenhagen an evening where both the tenor lead and substitute were ill and were substituted by….the conductor! More here.

Most disappointing statement: That René Pape has canceled Hans Sachs in Berlin 2008. More here.

Most exciting statement: That he will sing Wotan at La Scala 2010. And Waltraud Meier will be Brünnhilde. More here.

DVD: Nina Stemme in Jenufa

Jenufa. Liceu Barcelona, 2005. Production: Olivier Tambosi. Cast: Nina Stemme (Jenufa), Eva Marton (Kostelnicka), Jorma Silvasti (Laca). Conductor: Peter Schneider. Further information here.

This is a DVD of the same Olivier Tambosi production of Jenufa, that played earlier this season at both the Los Angeles and Metropolitan opera houses and has previously been seen in Hamburg and Barcelona, where this DVD was recorded live in 2005.

The center of the production is a stone symbolizing Jenufa´s troubles/baby: Just appearing from beneath the earth in Act one, mighty overshadowing everything in Act two and shattered to pieces in Act three. Anyone with a basic course in psychoanalysis may join in here.

Otherwise the sets are simplistic and make a fine backdrop for the action and highlights why this is a masterpiece: Janacek´s detailed characteristics of the protagonists both in words and music are almost unrivalled.

The protagonists are first-rate with Nina Stemme (Jenufa), Eva Marton (Kostelnicka) and Jorma Silvasti (Laca).

There is something in the colour of Nina Stemme´s voice, which has never appealed to me, though this should take anything away from her performance, which was both deep felt and moving. And she has excellent chemistry with Eva Marton´s both well-sung and excellently acted Kostelnicka, a prerequisite for a successful performance of this opera. The first really good performance I´ve heard from Eva Marton since her voice started to deteriorate almost 20 years ago. Just as long as she stays with Kostelnicka and doesn´t return to Ortrud.

My main problem with this DVD lies with the Peter Schneiders orchestra, which is unfortunately rather unspectacular and no math for Andrew Davis London Philharmonics on the only alternative Jenufa DVD from Glyndebourne 1989.

Which of the two versions to prefer is, as always, a matter of taste: Lehnhoffs Glyndbourne production is fine, though psychoanalytically claustrophobic and Roberta Alexander may not match Nina Stemmes engagement, though she is a fine Jenufa.

What I would really wish for, however, is a version with Karita Mattila and a first-rate Janacek conductor. I suppose this DVD release unfortunately precludes the release of the Metropolitan production with Karita Mattila and Anja Silja as it is the same production.

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Nina Stemme: 4
Eva Marton: 4
Jorma Silvasti: 4

Olivier Tambosi´s production: 4

Peter Schneider: 3

Overall impression: 4

The Bayreuth Succession part 15: What is going on?

Previous episodes of this Wagnerian docu-soap may be read here, and for new readers the background of this unique Wagnerian docu-soap is written up here.

The answer to the above question: Not much....

Gudrun Wagner death was acknowledged with a public ceremony in Bayreuth on December 13th (more here)

Christoph Schlingensief claims never really having liked directing theater and now he intends to focus on opera. And he wouldn´t mind running the Bayreuth Festival together with some equal-minded friends (not an option).

The Intendant of the Stuttgart Opera claims not to be interested in running the Bayreuth Festival (ehhh. good to know I guess...more here)

The protagonists (Katharina Wagner/Thielemann/Ruzicka vs. Eva/Nike Wagner) are supposed to be delivering written-up Festival management strategies to the Board of Directors in the near future.

Christian Thielemann by the way is conducting the Meistersinger revival at the Wiener Staatsoper in January (more on that later).

DVD: Henze´s Boulevard Solitude

Boulevard Solitude. Barcelona Liceu 2007. Production: Lehnhoff. Cast: Laura Aikin (Manon), Tom Fox (her brother), Pär Lindskog (des Grieux). Conductor: Zoltan Pesko. Further information here.

Another excellent DVD just came my way: Lehnhoff´s production of Henze´s first opera, the Manon Lescaut-story Boulevard Solitude from 1952, here in a 2007 Lehnhoff production from Barcelona, also seen a couple of years ago at the London Royal Opera.

Nikolaus Lehnhoff´s simplistic staging evolves around a waiting hall with people continuously passing by, which sets the right backdrop for Henze´s score, of which the inspirations range from 12-tone music to jazz. Fine performances from protagonists Laura Aikin (Manon), Tom Fox (her brother) and Pär Lindskog (des Grieux).

Also nice to see Henze walk to the brink of the orchestra pit to receive standing ovations after the performance.

An excerpt with Laura Aikin:

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Laura Aikin: 4-5
Tom Fox: 4-5
Pär Lindskog: 4

Lehnhoff´s staging: 4

Zoltan Pesko: 4

Overall impression: 4

Royal Danish Opera Maskarade DVD

Maskarade. Royal Danish Opera 2007. Production: Kasper Bech Holten. Cast includes: Stephen Milling (Jeronimus), Johan Reuter (Henrik), Susanne Resmark (Magdelone). Conductor: Michael Schønwandt. Further information here.

This new DVD release of the unofficial Danish national opera Maskarade is a most welcome addition to the Maskarade discography, which previously consisted only of Pountney´s Bregenz production.

Kasper Bech Holten´s production is definitely modern in the outlook and may not appeal to all. I must admit I find it both very refreshing and very funny and have previously described it in detail. I actually participated in one of the performances of this 2006/7 season run of Maskarade at the Royal Danish Opera, though unfortunately not the performance seen in the final DVD release.

There simply is no point in producing Maskarade if you do not have the right singer to play Jeronimus, the conservative archetype and main protagonist: Until his death Aage Haugland literally owned this role, which he also recorded on the brilliant 1998 recording with Ulf Schirmer and Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Now the torch has passed on to Stephen Milling, who has the exact combination of commanding stage presence and vocal strength to convincingly play this anti-hero with the exact balance between comical talent and dignity, a prerequisite in a great Jeronimus.

The entire cast is very strong, especially Johan Reuter as Henrik has a very convincing comical talent as does dramatic mezzosoprano Susanne Resmark as Jeronimus´wife Magdelone.
Superb playing from the Royal Danish Opera orchestra and Michael Schönwandt . Compared to Schirmer´s 10-year old recording, Michael Schönwandt has a slightly more heavy approach to the score, which suits it rather well.

There are moments of both Falstaff as well as Rosenkavalier and Meistersinger in Carl Nielsen´s score, though Carl Nielsen has succeeded in combining the above qualities with a wide public appeal in a way that none of the above composers (perhaps with the exception of Verdi) succeeded in doing.

The camera angles are switched very frequently with many shots of the orchestra players and conductor during the performance. Does it work or is it irritating? I am not sure.

Excellent bonus section with a behind-the-scenes view of the preparations as well as an interview with Michael Schönwandt explaining the plot.

Also a very informative booklet with an extensive information on the history of Maskarade. Perhaps some of the biographies would benefit from an update, such as the otherwise very detailed biography of Stephen Milling, which seems to stop at his performances at La Scala in 1999 in a secondary role, with no mention of his later Metropolitan performances (Hunding and Sarastro) or those at Covent Garden and Wiener Staatsoper (Parsifal), his career highlights so far.

Johan Reuter, Foerst kommer fael og fus:

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Stephen Milling: 5
Johan Reuter: 5
Susanne Resmark: 5

Kasper Bech Holten´s staging: 5

Michael Schønwandt: 5

Overall impression: 5

DVD: Outstanding Die Gezeichneten from Salzburg 2005

Die Gezeichneten. Salzburg Festival 2005. Prodution: Nikolaus Lehnhoff. Cast: Robert Brubaker (Alviano Salvago), Anne Schwanewilms (Carlotta Nardi), Michael Volle (Count Vitelozzo), Robert Hale (Duke Adorno). Conductor: Kent Nagano with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. Further information here.

Die Gezeichneten (tr. "The marked ones") is a dark and disturbing opera written by Franz Shreker in 1918. A late-romantic work with lingering, unreleased harmonies and an eerie atmosphere not unlike Verklärte Nacht.
The plot is both rather stupid as well as lenghty to explain, but involves a hidden grotto, kidnapping, a secret brotherhood, a woman who will die if she loves a man, a rich Duke and a hunchback.

As I am concerned, this is probably veteran director Nikolaus Lehnhoffs best production to date and was rapturously received at the premiere at the 2005 Salzburg Festival: Staggeringly beautiful as well as eerily atmospheric, devoid of the static impression often associated with his productions. Dark and brooding, like Shrekers densely textured score making excellent use of the intrinsic arches of the Felsenreitschule, the set is one gigantic, reclining female statue, under which the hidden grotto is to be found. Transvestism explains Alvianos outsider status in society, and Lehnhoffs exposure of pedophilia, upon opening the grotto is tremendously gripping, even by today's standards.

Those familiar with the score may note that some cuts, most notably in Act 3 of about 20 minutes have been made, allegedly to simplify the story-line.

Wonderfully played by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by Kent Nagano. Fine soloists in Anne Schwanewilms, with a cool soprano perfectly fitting as Carlotta. Michael Volle is a rugged Vitelozzo and Robert Brubakers Alviano is both pathetic and moving.

Indeed this is one of the best opera productions of the entire DVD catalogue.

Kent Nagano conducts the superbly dark and brooding prelude:

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Robert Brubaker: 5
Anne Schwanewilms: 5
Michael Volle: 5
Robert Hale: 5

Lehnhoff´s staging: 5

Kent Nagano: 4-5

Overall impression: 5

Posted on YouTube by TheGreatPerformers

Walking around La Scala with a camera....

Above: La Scala opera house, Milano taken a few minutes before this performance:

Walking to the opera through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II:

Piazza della Scala with the opera house in the background around midday:

Piazza della Scala seen from the Opera with the entrance to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in the background:

And the mighty Milano Cathedral, only five minutes away by foot:

Busking in the shadow of the Cathedral:

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II around midday:

And, below the Scala Opera around noon. The sense of history around this house is unlike anything I´ve experienced before, possibly equalled by the Vienna State Opera.
Next to the opera is a small museum, through which you may enter one of the balcony boxes of the Scala Opera: Only when I saw the theater workers mounting the sets for the first act of Tristan at 3 pm in the afternoon of the performance, I became entirely convinced they would actually be playing..The records shop within the actual opera house is excellent and displayed several items I have not seen anywhere else, particularly by historical singers associated with La Scala.

And the inside of the theater: Beautifully renovated (in 2002-4) with some excellent seats, particularly in the stalls section. However, the ticket prices for quite a few of the seats in the second (and third) row of the boxes with visibility close to zero and extremely uncomfortable seating pods are far too high considering the inferior quality...And like everywhere else in Italy you have to queue twice at the Bar: Once for paying at the counter and then again fighting for the attention of the bartenders to actually get served. But all are very polite indeed!